1. Field
The present invention generally relates to controlled-access storage devices and, in particular, controlled-access drawers and doors for storage of medications and medical supplies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medications and supplies must be available to nurses and other caregivers at a variety of locations in a hospital, yet must be kept secure such that they are available only to authorized staff. Many hospitals use automatic dispensing machines (ADMs) to maintain a stock of medications or supplies at various points in the hospital, for example a nurse's station. Medications are often stored in securable drawers while supplies are stored in cabinets having multiple compartments each having a securable door. Users identify themselves to the ADM and, if authorized to do so, select which item are to be removed, whereupon the ADM unlocks the drawer or door to allow access to the selected item.
Currently available ADM drawers often are configured to “pop” out horizontally from the ADM a few inches when unlocked, thereby making it easy for the user to identify which drawer contains the desired item as well as making it easy to further open the drawer without an external handle. In certain ADMs, the drawers are not configured to pop open and must be manually opened by the user. Doors, on the other hand, might hit someone if they were to pop open, so doors of ADMs typically have a locking mechanism and a separate detent mechanism such that the door can be unlocked and then the user can open and close and re-open the door as required to remove the necessary items. After the user removes the item and closes the drawer or door, the system must be capable of securing the door or drawer in the closed position.